Kavitha Narra

KUHLUNGSBORN: Sixteen-year-old Kavitha Narra is fighting for the future.

On Thursday, the young Indian-American had the opportunity of a lifetime, and she seized it with both hands. Kavitha Narra personally met the leaders of the world's most powerful economies, a chance that hundreds of environmental activists at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm would have given anything for.

"When it comes to climate change, we are not doing enough now," she told the G8 leaders. She called for tax rebates for environmentally efficient companies and penalties for the defaulters, and also for emission caps to be decided on the basis of GDP per capita per country. Most important of all, according to Kavitha, is the role of individuals. "People need to know that if they have a shorter shower, they can make a difference," she says.

As a delegate at the Junior 8 summit that was held alongside the G8 meet, Kavitha, who lives in Silicon Valley and whose parents come from the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh, had the opportunity to present the J8's recommendations to the G8 leaders.

The J8 team, with a delegate from each of the G8 nations and one representative from the developing world, took the opportunity to remind the leaders of their earlier unfulfilled promises. "You must stand by all your pledges and promises, those of the past and the future," said French 16-year old Anne-Charlotte Bonetti, referring to the aid promised to Africa at Gleneagles 2005.

"We wanted to get the G8 to commit to smaller, but attainable goals that do make an impact. I mean, there's no use setting goals just for the sake of public relations," Kavitha says frankly.

When told that the leaders seemed unprepared for the onslaught of blunt demands from the young people, she grins.

"Did you really think so? I'm glad for that. We take this very seriously. We want them to treat us as young adults, not as children. I'm glad they were surprised at the level of intelligence," she says.

Her colleague from the United Kingdom, 14- year-old Ellen McCloy Smith also thought the leaders were taken aback by the depth of their research and recommendations. When she presented the J8's suggestions on easing the patent regime for essential drugs, especially HIV-AIDS medication, the G8 leaders seemed at a loss for words.

None of them responded to her until the German President prompted her British counterpart, "Would you like to step up to the plate, Tony?" "I was surprised they didn't have more to say," said Ellen. She felt the meeting was more casual than she expected and gave her the chance to observe the relationships between G8 leaders.

"I was sitting next to Prime Minister Blair and he was sitting next to Bush. It was clear they were good friends. They were writing notes to each other and I thought that was interesting," she observed. So what did they write? "I don't know," Ellen laughed.

"Bush's handwriting was illegible." Bush did quite a bit of writing in the course of the meeting.

"He wrote a letter to my parents telling them how proud he was of me," said Kavitha excitedly.

Help Africa

17-year old Tanzanian Isaya Yunge also shows off the book where the American president jotted down some notes for him.

As the sole non-G8 representative at the meeting, Isaya took the opportunity to tell the G8 leaders that their first priority should be funding for education and health.

"We need you to take action now to help Africa," he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail